Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;Swing Time Red&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new variety of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Swing Time Red’ having a good uniform canopy of red-bronze single type flowers and a light green disc. The new variety has medium vigor, free branching habit with good foliage presentation.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/578,007, filed Jun. 7, 2004.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum morifolium.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The new Chrysanthemum variety denomination is ‘Swing Time Red’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum botanically known as Chrysanthemum morifolium, andreferred to by the variety name ‘Swing Time Red’.

‘Swing Time Red’, identified as ‘20230-9’, was discovered as a naturalmutation of a whole plant in a controlled cultivated planting of thevariety ‘Swing Time Dark’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,896). The variety‘Swing Time Red’ has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings atChichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, and the distinguishingcharacteristics are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Swing Time Red’ is a pot type of Chrysanthemum plant variety having aslightly domed capitulum form and red bronze single flowers.

Comparison with Parent

Plant habit of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Swing Time Red’ is similarto the parent ‘Swing Time Dark’. In side-by-side comparisons inChichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, under commercial practice,plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Swing Time Red’ differed fromplants of the parent ‘Swing Time Dark’ in the following characteristics.

1. The new variety ‘Swing Time Red’ produces deep red bronze singleflowers whereas the parent ‘Swing Time Dark’ produces dark orange singleflowers.

2. Plants of the new variety ‘Swing Time Red’ have similar inflorescenceto the plants of the parent ‘Swing Time Dark’.

Comparison with Other Varieties

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Swing Time Red’ are similar tothe variety ‘Vulcan Time Bronze’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,464) in planthabit and growth rate. In side-by-side comparisons in Chichester, WestSussex, United Kingdom, under commercial practice, plants of the newChrysanthemum variety ‘Swing Time Red’ compared to plants of the variety‘Vulcan Time Bronze’ in the following characteristics.

1. The flowers of the new variety ‘Swing Time Red’ are red bronzewhereas the flowers of the variety ‘Vulcan Time Bronze’ are bronze.

2. The plants of the new variety ‘Swing Time Red’ have smaller andshorter inflorescence than the plants of the variety ‘Vulcan TimeBronze’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. 1 is a whole plant view of the new variety ‘Swing Time Red’ grownin a pot. The colors shown are as true as possible within the usuallimits of this kind of illustration. The plant shown in the illustrationis 60 days from the start of Short Days.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Swing TimeRed’ is of plants grown in a greenhouse in Chichester, West Sussex,United Kingdom, in the month of June. The cultivar has not been observedunder all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may varysignificantly with variations in the environment such as temperature,length of day and light intensity, without any variance in genotype. Thecommercial classification of the new variety is a pot Chrysanthemum.

Plants of the new variety have been grown successfully under temperatureconditions averaging about 18° C. at night and about 24° C. to 25° C.during the day under light conditions of about 5,000 to 6,000 footcandles. The plants respond well to the use of growth retardant, such asthree B9 treatments at 2 gm per liter. To produce a commercial productthe plants may be pinched once. The typical container size forcommercial growth is 1 liter. It has been observed that the shelf lifeof the new variety is about 21 days with a response time of about 7.5weeks. The new variety is suitable for growth in a temperature range of15° C. to 25° C.

The following description is with respect to a plant produced as a potChrysanthemum. In the description of this new Chrysanthemum variety,color values have been taken from The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.C.C.).

Plant

-   Plant type: pot.-   Habit: upright and branching.-   Height: 24 cm.-   Width: 32 cm.-   Stem: Length (cm): 6 Diameter (cm): 0.5 Texture: slightly pubescent    Color: 137B.-   Branching characteristics: upright and free branching-   Lateral branches: Length (cm): 12 Diameter (cm): 0.5 Texture (cm):    slightly pubescent.-   Number of breaks from pinch: 5.-   Stem color: 137B.-   Response time: 54 days.-   Vigor: medium.-   Shelf life: 21 days.-   Life of blooms: 21 days.-   Disease (susceptibility or resistance observed): none observed.-   Pest (resistance or susceptibility): none observed.-   Drought and temperature (susceptibility or resistance observed):    none observed.-   Growth retardant type and treatment: 3 applications of 2.5    grams/liter at 2 days, 21 days and 28 days after sticking of    unrooted cuttings. The plants were grown for two weeks in Long Day    conditions (20 hours of light) and then transferred to Short Day    conditions (13 hours of dark).-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—vegetative propagation via stem cuttings.        -   Time to rooting.—12-14 days with soil temperatures of 18° C.        -   Rooting habit.—fine and fibrous.

Foliage

-   Number of leaves per lateral branch: 12.-   Compound or single: single.-   Arrangement of leaves: alternate.    -   -   Shape of leaf.—typically 5 lobed.        -   Size of leaf.—Width (cm): 6; Length (cm): 8.        -   Leaf apex.—rounded.        -   Base.—cordate.        -   Attachment.—petioled.        -   Aspect.—slightly undulating.        -   Margin.—palmately lobed.        -   Surface characteristics.—Top: slightly pubescent Bottom:            pubescent.-   Petiole: Color: 137C Length (cm): 0.8 Diameter (cm): 0.2.-   Venation: Color: upper side: 137B under side: 137D.-   Color: Mature Leaf, upper side: 137A; under side: 137D Young Leaf,    upper side: 138A; under side: 137C.

Flower

-   Flower appearance: matte.-   Flower type: single.-   Flower form: slightly cupped.-   Flower shape: circular.-   Flowering habit: cyme.-   Number of blossoms per branch: 5.-   Inflorescence form: cyme.    -   -   Depth of fully expanded blossoms (cm).—1.5.        -   Diameter of fully expanded blossoms (cm).—6.-   Phyllaries:    -   -   Number.—20-25.        -   Color.—137B.        -   Length (cm).—0.8.        -   Width (cm).—0.2.        -   Texture/appearance.—pubescent.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Length (cm).—10.        -   Diameter (cm).—0.5.        -   Angle from stem (degrees).—25.        -   Color.—137B.        -   Surface.—slightly pubescent.        -   Habit.—slightly undulating.        -   Strength.—moderately strong.-   Pedicel:    -   -   Length.—terminal (cm): 4; lateral (cm): 6.        -   Diameter (cm).—0.2.        -   Color.—near 137B.        -   Surface.—pubescent.        -   Habit.—slightly undulating.        -   Strength.—moderately strong.-   Ray florets:    -   -   Form/shape.—straight with parallel edges.        -   Texture/appearance.—matte.        -   Number per flower.—35.        -   Length (cm).—4; Width (cm): 0.8.        -   Apex.—rounded.        -   Base.—tapered.        -   Margin.—entire.-   Disc florets:    -   -   Form/shape.—cylindric.        -   Texture/appearance.—shiny.        -   Number per flower.—>150.        -   Length (cm): 0.4; Width (cm): 0.1.        -   Diameter of disc (cm).—1.6.-   Fragrance: none observed.-   Flower Bud (at onset of color):    -   -   Length (cm).—0.8.        -   Diameter (cm).—1.        -   Form/shape.—globular.-   General flower color:    -   -   1. Ray florets, upper side.—Immature: 43A Mature: 43B            Older/Fading: 40C Ray florets, under side: Immature: 26A            Mature: 26B Older/Fading: 26C.        -   2. Disc florets.—Immature: 151A Mature: 7A Older/Fading: 7A.        -   4. Bud.—26A.-   Flower progression with age: Flower form does not change but the    flower color fades slightly with age.

Reproductive Organs

-   Gynoecium: Present on both Ray and Disc florets.-   Ray florets per individual flower: Pistillate:    -   -   Pistil number.—35.        -   Stigma color.—near 6C.        -   Stigma shape.—forked.        -   Style length (cm).—0.5.-   Disc florets per individual flower: Pistillate:    -   -   Pistil number.—160 to 200.        -   Stigma color.—near 6C.        -   Stigma shape.—forked.        -   Style length (cm).—0.1.-   Androecium: Present on Disc florets only: Staminate:    -   -   Stamen number.—>50.        -   Anther shape.—clubbed.        -   Anther color.—15B.        -   Pollen quantity.—medium.        -   Pollen color.—15A.-   Fruit and seeds: none observed.

1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant, substantially asdescribed and illustrated herein.